Maintenance

Maintenance Line: (469)458-6560

As a tenant of a home, you will have a set of maintenance responsibilities that you will be required to fulfill on a regular basis. Many of these responsibilities will help keep the property in good running order, reducing the amount of problems you throughout your tenancy. Below is a guide of common maintenance issues that cause problems while renting. Each section will explain what is expected, what problems are caused if not maintained, and how it effects our relationship.

Work Order

To report a maintenance concern, you must first either call (do not text) the Maintenance Hotline (469) 458-6560 or create a ticket within your online tenant portal. Once the ticket is created, our maintenance manager or maintenance technicians will contact you for scheduling options, assuming we have valid contact information. Finally, our maintenance technicians will visit your property and take care of your concerns.

Yards- As a tenant, you are now in possession of the yard that grows and changes with the seasons. It is important that the yard is maintained. Please make sure to mow the yard and keep the property neat and tidy. Keeping the property neat and tidy includes you pruning and maintaning trees and bushes. If you need help or would like us to do it, please call us so we can introduce you to yard service companies. A well-kept yard is a great barrier to keep rodents and vermin from entering your proeprty. (If the trees are touching power lines please contact the electric company, if the trees are touching the roof please contact maintenance.)

Sewers and Water Leaks- Houses have a sewer system that is built for only one family. The systems are usually less forgiving than larger commercial units or multi-family apartment complexes. Because these systems are less forgiving, they cannot handle foreign objects as well. Items like tampons, sanitary napkins, paper towels, condoms, or foreign objects will not flush down toilets. If an item like this is flushed down the drain it could cause a sewer backup. A sewer backup will cause the house to smell, until we can get to the property to fix the backup. If we do find a foreign object in the line, there will be an administrative fee as outlined in the lease. In an apartment, if you have a water leak, there are other tenants nearby to report your leak. In a house you are the only one to report a leak. If you have a running toilet, leaky faucets or water that never seems to drain, please call maintenance. Letting us know of water leaks will help keep your water bill low, prevent damage to the property, and reduce the inconvenience if we have to come out and do a major fix. Water leaks can cause foundation problems, and it can take up to 4 – 8 weeks to fix. ** If you have a water leak and fail to report within first month it shows in your water bill, tenant can be liable for usage charges after the first bill shown.

Air Conditioners- Most houses will have a central air conditioning unit. The air conditioners in houses are different from apartments because they are designed only to cool one house, so they do not have the redundancies that you find in larger apartments. This means that there is a bit more maintenance that needs to be performed to ensure a cool house. Below are the most common A/C maintenance issues that cause problems: Dirty Air Filters – Dirty air filters prevent the flow of air over the evaporator, reducing the unit’s ability to cool the air. Because less air is flowing over the evaporator the compressor and condenser have to work harder. If the condenser and compressor have to work too hard they can burn out and leave the house with no conditioned air. It is important to make sure to change the air filters every month. This will also help maximize the amount of cold air in the house. Frozen A/C – If you run your A/C at full blast without letting it cycle off, the A/C will freeze up and stop working. So if you turn off your A/C during the day and then come home at night and run the A/C constantly for an hour or two, you could freeze the A/C preventing stopping the flow of cold air. The only way to fix a frozen A/C unit is to let it thaw out. So the best way to make sure you have a cool home at night is to set the A/C at an air temp around 76 degrees while your away then lower the temperature when you get home. Make sure to leave the A/C on auto to allow the A/C to cycle on and off as needed. Dirty Condensers – The big unit that sits outside of the house is how the A/C transfers hot air to the outside. It is important to make sure to condenser is kept clean and does not have many items blocking air flow to the unit. If the condenser is dirty the A/C won’t be able to cool the house and it can cause the compressor to burn out. Keeping the condenser clean and clear of obstructions will help reduce the chances of an A/C problem. If we are called to the property to help fix an A/C and find any of the above issues, an administrative fine will be assessed. The fine will be assessed by the severity and number of issues found with the A/C. If you perform these three items regularly, it will greatly reduce the chances of having A/C issues, keeping you cool during the hot days.

Foundations- Houses are built upon cement blocks or slabs, called the foundation. Since the foundation is anchored to the ground, the foundation will move as the ground moves. It is very important to water the foundation twice a week for 5 – 10 minutes. Watering the foundation can be very important during the summer or if we are in a drought. Watering the foundation will help keep the ground from drying out. By helping keep the foundation from drying out, we can help reduce the chance of the following items:
- Cracks in walls
- Doors not being able to open or close
- Sewer backups
- Water leaks
- Cracks in tile, flooring, or any other horizontal surface
- Additionally, roofs can be damaged as walls pull away from infrastructure
If we are called out to property to perform a work order and it is found that the foundation has not been watered, an administrative fine will be assessed. The size of the fine will vary by how much the ground has dried out.

Code Compliance-As a tenant, you are part of the larger city community. Many cities have certain expectations and standards that they expect all of their residents to maintain. As a tenant of APFSDEMM, Inc., we expect all of our tenants to be in good standing with the city. To avoid any city code notices, please review the most common reported code notices and the frequency that these activities are performed:

Maintenance	Frequency
Front yard and backyard mowed where the grass is less than 6 inches tall	Every 1 – 2 Weeks
Mow and trim the Alley way	Every 1 – 2 Weeks
Ensure all tree branches are trimmed at least 10 ft from the ground	Every Fall
Ensure trash and litter is disposed of properly and the property is well maintained	Every Trash Day
Bulk Trash (Please refer to city websites for bulk trash pickup dates)	Every Week
All automobiles are in working condition and parked on approved parking surfaces	Every 1 – 2 Weeks

Performing these activities on the above time table will help reduce the chances of getting a city code notice. If we do receive a city code notice, we will reach out to you for assistance in addressing the work order. If you can fix the code notice and send us proof of completion, there shall be no fines charged. If we have to perform work or get proof of completion, charges will be assessed.